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Fallen arches

According to police, a person called 911 earlier in the week regarding the closure, and provided a peak, perhaps, at how important the Golden Arches are to the community.

The restaurant that had stood since 1972 came tumbling down Wednesday as more than 50 onlookers gathered to watch the demolition firsthand. It had been closed since Sunday night.

The building, located on 1376 Bellefontaine St., was demolished to make room for the new McDonald’s restaurant that is set to open in late September.

Owner Jeff Monfort said seeing the building come down was bittersweet.

“It’s a little tough to see it go down because that’s where it all got started,” Monfort said. “My wife and I first met there and there are a lot of memories, but it was the right thing to do.”

After the debris is cleared away, Monfort said the property where the building once stood will be paved over to create additional parking for the new restaurant.

Although the new building is a little more than a month away from opening it’s doors completely, Monfort said they will open the restaurant as drive-thru only on Aug. 26, barring any unexpected setbacks.

“The trick is getting all the inspections done and that’s something we can’t control,” he said. “If it’s up to us it’ll be open Tuesday. If we run into problems with the inspections, that’s the only thing that could hold us back.”

For the full story, see the Thursday, Aug. 21 edition of the Wapakoneta Daily News.